The Old Lay Home
Submitted by Donnie PickardVan Buren County Democrat, August 24, 1914
Another Old Landmark Removed
W.C. Peel has a force of hands at work raising the old house on property known as the Lay place, preparatory to the erection of a new four room cottage.
The raising of this house removes from Clinton one of the very old landmarks of the community. It was erected in the year 1867 by Allen Lay, one of the pioneer citizens of the community, and husband of Aunt Cassie Lay, now living with one of her sons five miles west of town. It was constructed of logs and notwithstanding the almost half-century that has intervened seem sufficiently well preserved to do service another two score or more years. The two front rooms were 18 feet in dimension, separated by a ten feet hall, the top plates extending the entire length of the building. At the time of its erection there were but three or four other houses here, sections of the present Morrow Hotel, the home of A.L. Johnson and that of B.H. Maddox, being among the number. The Lay place was the first home occupied by Col. and Mrs. Poe on coming to Clinton and that was more than forty years ago.